As the commuter landscape downtown changes, so too must the flow of traffic — but at a price.

Denver Public Works is looking into converting three sections of one-way streets in Uptown and Downtown to two-way travel. Studying the switch has cost the city about $145,000.

“This system was really designed at a time about 50 years ago and it hasn’t changed,” said John Desmond, executive vice president for downtown environment for the Downtown Denver Partnership, which is collaborating on the project with Public Works. “Downtown was pretty much an employment center, and there were a lot of daytime users.”

Now, however, about 50 percent of downtown workers commute by alternative transit — on foot, or by bus, bike or light rail — rather than cars, and Desmond says it’s time for a change in traffic flow to try to accommodate everyone.

“You’ve got a much more 24/7 neighborhood, you’ve got a much more multimodal use of transportation,” Desmond said. “You gotta look at the system in that context.”

The three areas considered for conversion are:

• Welton Street between 15th and 17th streets;

• 18th Street between Wynkoop and Blake streets;

• East 19th Avenue between Broadway and Park Avenue and East 20th Avenue between Park and Lincoln Street.

Converting these streets could cost a pretty penny.

“I think sometimes there is a misconception that we can twist a couple of signs around and repaint a road,” said Matt Wager, director of traffic operations for Denver Public Works, “but it’s much more complicated than that.”

Reconstructing traffic signals can cost $300,000, Wager said. The 18th Street section alone might need two or three new signals.

Each section had a different catalyst spark the conversion conversation.

Developer Evan Makovsky, managing partner of NAI Shames Makovsky
, asked that the section of Welton be converted. Makovsky was not available for comment Wednesday, but Wager said he paid for the conversion study in that area.

As the city contemplates the conversion of East 19th and East 20th avenues, Wager said the city will look at the ease of biking between St. Joseph’s Hospital and downtown. The Public Works-funded study for this section will cost about $110,000.

Denver Union Station renovations are driving the changes on 18th Street, Wager said. Public Works will foot the $35,000 tab for this study, too.

Although officials have been talking about converting the streets for about a year, Wager said there isn’t a set timeline for completion of the projects. He did say the city hopes to receive the results of the 18th Street study by the end of the summer and the study of East 19th and 20th avenues by late fall.

Mike Renton lives near Capitol Hill and walks downtown. He said when he does drive, he gets turned around in the one-way street maze. Still, he said he’s skeptical of the conversion.

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